Track-torpedo.



PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906.

W. D. JAGKSON. TRACK TDRPEDQ. urucx'rzos mmm 3.21. 1905.

man: I! sum am mvu-wmmsnmmow o c WILTON D. JACKSON,

FRANK BUTCHER, OF VERSAILLES, PENNSYLVANIA.

THAOK'TORPEDO.

Specification oi Letters Patent.

Patented June 19, 1906.

Application filed April 21, 1895. Serial llo. 258,718.

To all whom it may concern:-

Be it known that I, WILTON D. J senses, a citizen of the United States,residing in Phila delphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Track-Torpedoes, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to torpedoes designed to be placed upon railway ortrolley tracks to serve as signals for approaching trains or cars.

The objectof my invention is to provide an efficient-torpedo made offibrous or other nonmetallic material and one that will act under allconditions and will be absolutely harmless when exploding.

A further ob'ect of my invention is to provide a tor eclo ofnon-metallic material, whether inc osed in a casing or not, but having aWater roof coating or covering, with means who 1y independent of thetorpedo itself for securing it to the head of a rail and means Whollyexterior of the torpedo for confining said securing means thereto. Theconfining means embrace or encircle the torpedo, binding thesecuring-strap thereto, and such confining means are preferabl fibrousand are either in the shape of a cor or string or a strip or strips ofpaper, fabric, or vegetable fiber, which may be temporarily secured inplace by (glue, and in the final treatment of the torpe o held againstdisplacement by the waterproof coating or covering of the same.

My invention is fully shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is an inverted perspective View showing in full size myimproved torpedo {not prior to completion. Fig. 2 is an enargedcross-sectional view of the same, taken on the line a a, Fig. 1. Fig. 3is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 1) b, Fig. 1. Fig.4 is an inverted perspective view of the finished torpedo, the outersurface having been coated with a waterproofing material. Fig. 5 is aview of the torpedo in position upon a rail, the latter being shown insection; and Fi s. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are views illustrating moifications of my invention.

The essential object of my invention is to provide a track-torpedo asignal in railroading harmless. As heretofore constructed tracktor edoeshave usually been made of metal, an accidents have frequently happeneddue desi nod to serve as that will be absolutely to the flight ofportions of the metal forming the torpedo during or succeeding theexplosion of the same.

The torpedo made in accordance with my invention consists of a suitablereceptacle which may be a round box-like structure 1, as shown in Figs.1, 2, 3, and 4,"aiid oomprises telescoping members 2 and 3, which whenplaced together inclose the explosive or detonating material 4. Thesesections 2 and 3 may he of paper, fabric, papier-mach, wood, or othersimilar substance suitably prepared for use and when finished renderedWaterproof by any suitable means before or after the detonatin materialis placed within the structure. Ot er shapes may he employed-such as thesquare box shown in Fig. 6, the envelop shown in Fig. 7, the convexstructure shown in Fig. 8, or a tubular device with crushed ends shownin Fig. 9. Torpedoes of this general character re uire some means forholding them to the rai and such means usually consist of a strip offlexible material, preferably lead, which is indicated at 5 in theacoompanyin drawings. This strip of lead may be hel to the torpedo in anumber of ways; but I prefer to pass it under the structure formin thetorpedo and secure it by means, refers ly a string or thread 6, passingaroun or over the torpedo, thereby confining such lead stri thereto. Inthe structures shown herewit this confining means, consisting of thread,string, or similar material, is Wrapped or passed several times aroundthe box, crossing, preferably in both directions, the strip of lead, andthe ends of the string are retained temporarily in position by glue orother similar material. This string or other material serves to retainthe lead strip in place, and when the torpedo is dipped in awaterproofin composition of any suitable character it Wi l inclose theretaining-string and the portion of the lead strip lying against theterpedo and will secure the latter firmly to the torpedo, at the sametime fully covering and protecting the material of which the torpedo iscomposed and, while rendering it damp and w aterproof not affecting itsexplosive properties.

7 My improved torpedo is of fibrous or other non-metallic material, andwhen it is exploded there will be no den or from the flying fragments,as they will ave little or no OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TOforce. To obviate the ,danger of causing the securing-strap to be blownabout by the force of the explosion, such strap, which is of metal, leadbeing preferred, lies wholly under the tor )edo when the latter issecured to the head of a rail, and the explosion tending to elevate thecover or casing inclosing the detonating material there will be nodanger of portions of the retaining-strip flying around promiscuously.Another reason for locating the securing strip and its retaining meanswholly exterior of the torpedo is to insure that the envelop or cover ofthe lat ter will not be pierced by the retaining means or injured by thedisplacement of the latter when ,packed forshipment, stored in thecaboose or other car, orcarried in the pocket of the brakemen.

In the torpedo shown in Fig. 6 the secur ing-strap isheld in place by aband of paper or fabric 7, and in that shown in Fig. 7 a string or,cordis simply :passed around both ends of the lead strip at 8 and then backacross the top of the torpedo, and held by glue until the waterproofmaterial is added.

In the substantially flat forms ,of ,the torpedo which I have shown Iprefer to secure the lead strip in place bysome such retaining vmeans,but ,in the tubular form shown in Fig. 9 I hold theleadstri inplace'bymeans of string wrappedaroun the tube or by independent bandsorstrips 9 of paper, fabric, material, very much in the prior appli- InFig. 10 I show a form of torpedo 10 made of the detonatingmaterialcompressed ,passed across its under sideand .con

into shape and having a securin -stra p 'ned in place-withawrappingofstring which passes entirely around ,the torpedo. This structure is thendipped in :the waterproofing composition. To make sure of a-,waterproofcovering, it may also be dipped before the strap is securedin place.

Esme ting Fig. 4, all of the torpedoes shown erewith are without thewaterproof coating orcovering, although ,it will be understoodzthat allforms are to base finished. The waterproofing. com osition is preferablyofsuch character, as to fiilly coattheexterior of the torpedo and.confine the lead strap as Well as the securing strin orcord and theloose ends of=thes met0t e torpedo-casing. Having thus described myinvention, I

claim ,and desire ,to secure by Letters ,Pat-

1. As a new article of manufacture, a track-,torpe o comprising .a.casing of paper having a filing of detonating material ex- ,forsecuring torpedo and ,and disposed 2. As a new article of manufacture, anonmetallic track-torpedo having a filling of detonating material, meansfor securing said torpedo to the head of a rail, ,means passing aroundthe body of said torpedo for retaining the securing means thereto, and acoating of plastic material for confining the securing means and theretainer for the latter.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a nonmetallic track-torpedo having afilling of detonating material, means for securing said torpedo to thehead of ,a rail, means passing around the bodyof said ,tQP-PQdfllfQI'retaining the securing means thereto, and acoating of waterproofmaterial for ,confinin the securing means and ,the retainer for t elatter to the torpedo.

4, As a new articleof manufacture, a nonmetallic track-torpedo havingafillingof ,det- .onating material, means for securing said torpedo tothe head of a rail, and a plastic coating for the body of said .torpedofor retaining said securing means thereto.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a tracletorpedo comprising .a,casing of paper having a filling of detonati-ng material explodingunder pressure, means for securing said torpedo :to the head of a rail,,a cord passing around the bodyof said torpedoand serving to hold thesecuring means thereto, and means for holding .said cordagainstdisplacement.

6. Asanew article of manufactures nonmetallic track-torpedo ,comprising.a ,circular several-part case .made of ifibrous material,

and fibrous means passing diametricall aroundthe case-to gllQld theparts of,thesame together.

,7. As a new article of manufacture, ,a track-torpedo comprising afibrous case composed of circular vtelescoping members, and retainingmeans passing diametrically around the same and serving to held ,themtogether.

8. As a new article of ,man facture, a track-torpedo comprising incombination, a fibrous casecomposed of circulartelescopin members, astrap forsecuring it to|the head of a rail, and retaining means,assingdiametrically around ;the,parts of t estructure .and serving to,hold ,them together.

9. As a new article of ,manufacture, ,a track-torpedocomprisingacircular casing, a rail-engagingstrap passed across thecasing on one face ,only ,of the .same, an mean omp y r mmd ngch .qadiame ca y an m acingth raitenge in member.

11 testimony whereof I have signed .my ,name to this .specificatien .in,the 1 presence of .two subscribing witnesses.

WILT D-.JAQKQN- Witnesses:

